Heater for nozzle holes in steel ladles



Jy 129 E49. E. BROWN HEATER FOR NOZZLE HOLES IN STEEL LADLES Filed Sept gnam f/615D @BOW/v.

Patented July l2, 1949 oFElcE HEATER FOR NOZZLE HOLES 1N STEEL LADLES Edward Brown, Baltimore, Md. Application September 24, 1945, Serial No. 618,138

(Cl. 2Z-84) 1 Claim.

This invention relates to the manufacture and handling of steel and other metals and more particularly to use and construction of ladles for carrying same in a molten state to the molds.

In a particular form of steel handling ladles, it is customary in its use to rst pour a considerable quantity of the molten metal from the various furnaces into it. Then when it is lled sufficiently, it is carried to the various molds and the contents allowed to flow out in suflicient quantities to ll the latter. In the larger ladles the pour is made through a spout in the bottom. The spout is controlled by a plug which is raised and lowered through the operation of a, suitable mechanism. When the spout is opened to permit the molten metal to flow through, the metal by reason of its high temperature and weight causes considerable wear at the spout, necessitating repairs after several pourings.' The repair of the ladle requires the plastering of the lining with a cement made of fireclay or other heat resistant substance, around the hole or opening leading through the spout, and leaving it until it hardens suiciently for use. However, the ladles are used so frequently that time for repairs has to be limited as far as possible. Under the usual method, the time required for repairs ls made as short as feasible by proceeding with them withcut waiting for the ladle or its lining to cool. Everything is done as quickly as possible without much attention to details. The heat exuding from the walls of the ladle permit little time for operators to work therein without danger to the health and lives.

The cement is applied around a core plug placed in the spout opening and filled in around the lining to make it relatively smooth in a wet state. The operators get out of the ladle as quickly as possible. Then kindling wood in some form is thrown in until it lls in about the space where the repairs have been made. The wood is lighted and allowed to burn within the ladle and left there until the clay is dried out and relatively cool and hardened. This usually takes about seven hours per ladle. The hardening results in a somewhat haphazard manner but as long as it Adoes the work effectively enough to permit pouring to be continued, it is usually considered satisfactory. However such conditions vout down the life of the ladles and require their replacement. This increases the cost of the production in addition to the delay caused by the requirement of suitable wood to be burned. In this invention, the process differs from that just described, in that the gaseous fuel or liquid fuel gasied is used in place of the wood, and such fuel is applied through a burner designed to cover the area of newly applied clay that has to be heated, and dried in the most effective manner. The process takes about forty minutes to completion and performs the work in a superior manner. Gas had been tried many times before but did not work satisfactorily due mainly to the collection of moisture in the piping and burner. This moisture came in such quantities that it caused injury to the clay or was absorbed by it to an extent that the clay would not properly dry and induced explosions after the ladle wa-s put in service after the repairs had been made. The present invention eliminates this objection by providing a burner adapted to properly distribute gas flames all over the area-to be baked and at the same time draining off the moisture so it cannot collect in the ladle or the burner or the plug used therewith.

In order to provide a clearer understanding of the invention reference is made to the appended drawings and the following description in which other objects will become apparent, while the scope of the invention is particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the particular form of the invention, a repair unit consists of a burner for gaseous fuel with holes therein for directing ames therefrom against the lining of theladle and spacing the burner from said ladle and moisture from the burner so it will not contact said lining.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a repair unit for ladles handling'molten metals, partly in section to show its internal structure, and embodying this invention; l

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 ina typical enlarged sectional view showing the arrangement of the device in the ladle spout.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

In the particular form shown, a ladle lll having a fire resistant lining Il attached to it with an opening or passage I2 through both to form a spout for pouring molten metal from the interior I3, is shown provided with a gas-using repair unit. The unit consists of a rounded burner structure I4 having an internal chamber I5 of substantial cross-section area, the walls of the unit are provided with a series of slanting holes i6 through which the gaseous fuel flames are projected downwardly against the lining. 'I'he bottom portion I1 of the structure is restricted in a diameter and rounded along its axis and of suillcient length to form a pocket I8. The upper portion I9 is of rounded and converging form and terminates in a union 2| for coupling a gas feed pipe 22 thereto. It will be noted in Figure 3 that the diameter of internal chamber I is several times that of the gas feed pipe 22. A support 23 of some suitable material is inserted in the clay after it is semi-hardened; it consists of a hollow cylindrical tube. The internal diameter of its passage 24 is made large enough to allow the moisture 39 from the burner todrop through easily. The hood 25 in the upper end of the plug is rounded arcuately underneath at 26 to provide a slight convex and ts the concaved depression 21` in the clay or cement. The portion of the support 23 above the tube is cylindrical with a hollow boss 3I surmounted on it. The boss is formed internally with a recess 32 adapted to take the bottom I'l of the burnerstructure and serve as rest and an aligner thereof with its oriiice 20 directed into the passage 24.

The operation of the device is as follows. First the core plug is placed in the ladle and the wet clay or cement II built up around it. The core plug is held upright in the ladle by the insertion in the hole of the spout head provided at the bottom of the ladle, and in a few minutes the clay has hardened enough to allow the Withdrawal of core plug. The plug is handled with a special tongs from above. The support 23 is lowered down into position in the pouring spout. The lighted cylindrical burner I4 is lowered down by its tubing 22 until its bottom I1 iits into the recess and is properly aligned. lGas is admitted through the feed pipe 22 at line pressure and enters the chamber I5 where it is immediately subjected to expansion due to the fact that the chamber I5 is much larger in diameter than the pipe 22. This sudden expansion causes condensation of the moisture inherently carried by the gas. A small portion of the moisture will pass out through the lateral openings I5 and against the lining of the ladle where it will be promptly vaporlzed because it is in comminuted form and dissipated. Since the gas pressure within chamber I5 is equal in all directions, itis obvious that not all of the moisture can escape through the openings IB and that it is entrained past the plane of these openings. Furthermore, the moisture contained in that p0rtion of the gas below this plane has not other way of escape but through the lower opening 20. Consequently the greater portion of the condensate will gravitate to the bottom of chamber I5 and nd its way through opening 20 to passage 24 and out beyond the ladle. The orifice 20 also carries a flame and rids the passage 24 of moisture and heats the tube. When the process is completed the burner is lifted out and the plug re moved with a tongs.

While but one general form of the invention is shown in the drawings and described in the specifications it is not desired to limit this application for patent to this particular form, as it is appreciated that other forms of construction could be made that would use the same principles and come within the scope oi the appended claim:

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

In an apparatus for drying the lining of a ladle, a burner casing, a, conduit for admitting gas thereto at the top thereof, a support for said casing on the liner of the ladle, and extending through the ladle, said burner casing having a series of slantlng burner openings through the lateral wall thereof and an outlet opening through the bottom wall thereof and spaced from said slanting openings, said burner casing providing a chamber having a cross-section substantially greater than that of said conduit. to provide for the expansion of the gas therein and condensation of moisture carried by said gas, said support having conduit means cooperating with the outlet opening of said casing, to lead the condensate beyond the ladle.

EDWARD BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following rei'erenlces are of record in the i'lle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 986,741 Morrison et al Mar. 14, 1911 1,037,013 Jones Aug. 27, 1912 1,105,250 Carnahan July 28, 1914 1,405,100 Cornwell Jan. 31, 1922 1,458,350 McDermott June 12, 1923 1,675,735 Stohr July 3J 1928 1,763,289 Anderson et al June 10, 1930 2,016,125 Snow Oct. 1, 1935 

